Safe Online awards $ 10 million to 23 new grantees to join the fight against digital harms

The digital world is becoming increasingly unsafe for children and young people. Data from the past year, has prompted child protection organisations to sound an alarm for 2023 as arecord year’ for child sexual abuse reports with analysts finding more child sexual imagery than any year previously – more than 275,000 reports -up 8% from the previous year. 

New trends emerge, such as financial sexual extortion, while threats like online grooming and child ‘self-generated’ sexual material continue to grow. Additionally, new emerging technologies like generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Extended Reality (ER) pose new risks for the safety of children online.  

To combat the growing threats in the digital space, Safe Online launched a global call for proposals in 2023. After a rigorous and thorough selection process, 23 grantees have been selected to receive USD 10 million. The new investment grows Safe Online’s investment portfolio to USD 100 million across 106 projects with impact in 100 countries and accelerates Safe Online’s globally important role as a catalyst for new solutions to combat digital harms. 

The investment award projects under a ‘whole system’ approach by supporting work across multiple sectors to achieve maximum impact.  

“With a $10M boost, Safe Online is supercharging efforts to protect kids from digital harms. Our new investments are empowering changemakers worldwide to create a safer, brighter online future for every child. Together, we're not just responding to online harms – we're reengineering the internet for the next generation."
- Marija Manojlovic, Executive Director, Safe Online

Grantees have been awarded under three different pillars:

Networks and Systems: Projects will strengthen systems, key infrastructure and services and create incentives for action through changing norms, policies and advanced regulation. 

Research and data: Projects will create and promote a global evidence base to support the ecosystem, increase alignments of efforts, and maximise their impact. 

Technology Tools: Projects will reduce barriers to access to cutting-edge technologies in the online safety space and promote tools that are shareable, adaptable and create efficiencies in online CSEA prevention and response efforts at all levels. 

See more of our recent updates

The Palestinian Centre for Democracy and Conflict Resolution

Our grantees The Palestinian Centre for Democracy and Conflict Resolution Safe Online Environmnets for Children Countries involved:Palestine With support from the Fund, the Palestinian Centre for Democracy and Conflict Resolution is raising awareness about online child sexual exploitation and abuse in Palestine. By holding workshops for children, parents, school counselors, teachers, law

Read More »

Technological University Dublin

Our grantees Technological University Dublin N-light: An Innovative Application to Uncover Patterns of Online Child Sexual Exploitation Through National Helpline and Hotline Analysis of Caseloads Countries involved:Ireland Through this project, Technological University Dublin will develop a deployable tool that reveals the patterns of adults perpetrating online child sexual abuse and

Read More »

Fundacion Paniamor

Our grantees Fundacion Paniamor Costa Rica Says No to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Countries involved:Costa Rica The Paniamor Foundation is using support from the Fund to bring prevention and response of child sexual exploitation to the forefront of national conversation. The Foundation is supporting the Government of Costa Rica’s Connected

Read More »
Stay in the loop.

Our purpose in detail

We are here to ensure every child and young person grows in to the digital world feeling safe, and is protected from harm.

We support, champion, and invest in innovative partners from the public, private, and third sectors working towards the same objective.

We believe in equipping guardians and young people with the skills to understand and see danger themselves once accessing digital experiences without supervision.

We'd love to have a chat

We're thrilled you're interested in donating to Safe Online - pop in the details below and we will get back to you to set up a discussion.